The sight of the Grand Duke of the North, a man who had been detached from the world for seven years, being used as a climbing frame by three children was nothing short of a miracle.
Julian leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed as he watched the chaotic procession move through the hallway and toward the gardens.
Even the knights didn't seem to understand completely exactly what was going on.
Alaric looked back over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Julian's for a fleeting second. The frustration from the carriage was still there, simmering in the depths of his gaze, but it was tempered by a strange, new softness as he adjusted his grip on Lucius and Cassian.
I am doing this for you, his eyes seemed to say, even as Liora nearly yanked a handful of his golden hair out of the scalp.
"Don't look at me like that, Your Grace," Julian teased, his voice light. "You look like a very capable father. Perhaps you missed your calling as a nanny?"
